Cult of Aiza
The Cult of Aiza or Aizaan Beaconry is a religious institution which dominates the On Valley and the wetlands of No in western Calderaas. It consists of three official Sects and only recently, a fourth additional Sect. The religion is based on the Laws of Onca, the Forecasts of Vela and the Beliefs of Noro. These three tenets are colloqiually known as the Dogma of Aiza. With the destruction of the No Nation by King Tyr and the Great Tsunami, the Aizaan Beaconry no longer has any influence there. Overveiw The Cult of Aiza consists of three official Sects (Onca, Vela, & Noro) and one unofficial Sect (Dema). Each Sect is broken into four tiers with associated privileges and responsibilities. They are High, Senior, Junior and Young Beacons. Each Sect is led by a the High Beacon. When a High Beacon dies or is removed, a Senior Beacon is chosen by their peers and elevated. During selection, service, piousness and qualification are all taken into consideration. Each Sect is based in their own Cell, usually found on the outskirts of their respective city. Each Cell is responsible for housing and educating their Senior, Junior and Young Beacons. In ancient times, the Cult of Aiza and the Cult of Azan existed in symbiosis. But a rift in key beliefs caused the Cults to severe all ties with each other and subsuquently, broke the Calderaan civilization into West (Aizaan) and East (Azaan) with the Central Plains remaining a neutral zone. The Matriarch The Beaconry is solely responsible for the selection and elevation of a Queen of On. The Queen is traditionally selected from the Velaan Sect, always a Senior Beacon, always a woman of exemplary service and piousness. She is thenceforth known as the Matriarch and is required to perform or be present for the five great rituals of the year. Senior Beacons from other Sects have been selected for Queendom in the past but it is a rare occurence. Rites and Responsibilities The Sects oversee all religious activity within the western valley of On. At certain times of the year, they travel from their individual Cells to the three great cities of Oncaas, Citaas and Velaas to perform rituals with their entire congregation. The five rituals or Rites are Prayers (Onca), Libations (Noro), Forecast (Vela), and Aiza's Feast. The fifth ritual, Illumination (Dema) was banned from being performed, leading to the disolution of the Demaan Sect. In recent times, it has been re-instated and the Sect of Dema has been reformed. ''The Sect of Onca'' The Sect of Onca is based in the Oncaan Cell on the outskirts of the city Oncaas. The Oncaan High Beacon is responsible for interpreting Law and is the highest Judge of the Tribunal in Citaas when needed. She is responsible for appointing lower judges to oversee the Tribunal's everyday activities. Only the High Beacon of Onca is able to interpret and change the Law. She is required to hear any suggestions that the Queen may have in regards to amending the Law but she does not have to act on those suggestions. The High Beacon of Onca is responsible for leading the Rites of Onca (Prayers) in concert with the Queen at the Temple of Onca in Oncaas. ''The Sect of Noro'' The Sect of Noro is based on the outskirts of Citaas at the Aizaan Acropolis. The High Beacon of Noro is responsible for overseeing the preservation of all religiously significant monuments throughout the On Valley and the interpretation and preservation of the beliefs of Noro, key tenets of the religion. The Noraan High Beacon works in concert with the High Beacons of Onca and Vela to apply those Dogmas to Law and Education respectively. The High Beacon of Noro in concert with the Queen leads the Rites of Noro (Libations) at the Temple of Noro in the Aizaan Acropolis. ''The Sect of Vela'' The Sect of Vela is based in the Velaan Cell on the outskirts of Velaas. The High Beacon of Vela defines the guiding tenets of education both in the Cells and in private institutions throughout the On Valley. She takes the official Dogmas into consideration when deciding what is worthy of being taught in the Cells. If a private institution is found to be out of line with the Dogmas, it is her responsibility to bring that transgression to the attention of the High Beacon of Onca where Law can be applied and executed. Since the Queen is occupied with many civil, political and religious duties, she cannot remain at the Velaan Cell. Instead she resides at Su-Ras, the Royal Estate. A Senior Beacon of her choosing oversees the Cell in her absence. The Rites of Vela take place at Vela's Bath in Velaas. When the High Beacon of Vela is Queen, she is not allowed to perform the Rites of Vela herself and a Senior Beacon is chosen to perform in her stead. Those chosen are known as Visionaries. ''The Sect of Dema'' The Sect of Dema was once a part of the ancient Cult of Aiza, but after the great divide of ancient Calderaas, the Demaan Sect became a part of the Cult of Azan. Dema's Rites where banned from being performed in the On Valley on pain of death. After the Tenc Occupation of the On Valley, the Demaan Sect began to gain followers among the population. After the Tenc were expelled by Queen Izabel, the Beacons of the Demaan Sect petitioned her to allow them to continue practicing. Queen Izabel after some deliberation allowed them to remain, on the condition that they officially renounce any connection with the Cult of Azan and become a Sect of the Aizaan Beaconry. The Sect of Dema has no official respnsibilities within the Cult of Aiza. They are simply required to perform the Rites of Dema ( Illumination) at Ana's Spire at the appropriate time of year. Although the Rites of Dema are officially performed at Ana's Spire, the act of Illumination occurs across the entire On Valley at the same time.